Originally posted by pwillis52beasty:
Poor guy always getting injured. He is a very talented running back. He could start for many other teams. I really hope we bring him back next year. He should be cheap and is a great change of pace back.

Can you name 3 teams he'd start for?

Not to be a dick.

If fully healthy... Jaguars, Giants, Broncos, Patriots, Saints, and possibly the Chargers, Colts, and Falcons. People forget that he had two 1500 yard + seasons at Oklahoma State. I think he's a much better back than people give him credit for and he could definitely start in this league. He's just been behind Frank Gore and has been injured so far his career.

Poor guy always getting injured. He is a very talented running back. He could start for many other teams. I really hope we bring him back next year. He should be cheap and is a great change of pace back.

Can you name 3 teams he'd start for?

Not to be a dick.

If fully healthy... Jaguars, Giants, Broncos, Patriots, Saints, and possibly the Chargers, Colts, and Falcons. People forget that he had two 1500 yard + seasons at Oklahoma State. I think he's a much better back than people give him credit for and he could definitely start in this league. He's just been behind Frank Gore and has been injured so far his career.

He's a good back. If he's healed and he thinks the 49ers are low balling him - he might just take a chance on going to another team. Josh Morgan did the same thing. Specially if we win the Super Bowl this year, kiss every free agent we have - good bye - just like the seachickens and crows did after their super bowl win's.

Originally posted by pwillis52beasty:
If fully healthy... Jaguars, Giants, Broncos, Patriots, Saints, and possibly the Chargers, Colts, and Falcons. People forget that he had two 1500 yard + seasons at Oklahoma State. I think he's a much better back than people give him credit for and he could definitely start in this league. He's just been behind Frank Gore and has been injured so far his career.

Very good running back and has never been used as a number one...so we don't know just how good he could be. But, as you have stated, his college career seems to indicate he's being under rated by many. I really like his ability to move outside and play the inside/outside equally well. Gore can't really turn the corner as he use to do. Whether Hunter is expendable at this point...given Hyde and Lattimore being back ups...I can see many teams jumping for him.

Originally posted by pwillis52beasty:
If fully healthy... Jaguars, Giants, Broncos, Patriots, Saints, and possibly the Chargers, Colts, and Falcons. People forget that he had two 1500 yard + seasons at Oklahoma State. I think he's a much better back than people give him credit for and he could definitely start in this league. He's just been behind Frank Gore and has been injured so far his career.

Very good running back and has never been used as a number one...so we don't know just how good he could be. But, as you have stated, his college career seems to indicate he's being under rated by many. I really like his ability to move outside and play the inside/outside equally well. Gore can't really turn the corner as he use to do. Whether Hunter is expendable at this point...given Hyde and Lattimore being back ups...I can see many teams jumping for him.

It is worth noting that everyone one those teams he put up there as certain to start him doesn't use a number one back type system and the remaining three have had significant issues at the postion for a while now and even they platoon pretty significantly. It is kind of skirting the question of being asked where he would be a starter and then put up teams that dont ever use one clear starter game to game. You are just claiming by him being one of the 2-3 or even 4 guys they would use that he would be their number 1.

Originally posted by PhillyNiner:
It is worth noting that everyone one those teams he put up there as certain to start him doesn't use a number one back type system and the remaining three have had significant issues at the postion for a while now and even they platoon pretty significantly. It is kind of skirting the question of being asked where he would be a starter and then put up teams that dont ever use one clear starter game to game. You are just claiming by him being one of the 2-3 or even 4 guys they would use that he would be their number 1.

Not going to judge him at this point as a number one...he hasn't been an NFL #1. I see him as a change of pace back who would be on the field most plays with a QB like P Manning, able to utilize his talents to good advantage. Is he a ground and pound, up the middle RB? No, I don't think he has shown that type of running ability. He is not a FB replacement type back that Gore can be. Gore is an ideal back for the niners due to his ability to run hard, be shifty and block like a demon.

My greatest concern about Hunter is that he has tended to be injured without being the featured back, what would happen if he had to run up the middle into a stacked D ten/fifteen times a game as is Roman's penchant for play calling?

But still, should we judge the guy before he's given a shot? He's done everything the niners have asked him to do and is a better straight ahead runner than I thought he would be.

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
Not going to judge him at this point as a number one...he hasn't been an NFL #1. I see him as a change of pace back who would be on the field most plays with a QB like P Manning, able to utilize his talents to good advantage. Is he a ground and pound, up the middle RB? No, I don't think he has shown that type of running ability. He is not a FB replacement type back that Gore can be. Gore is an ideal back for the niners due to his ability to run hard, be shifty and block like a demon.

My greatest concern about Hunter is that he has tended to be injured without being the featured back, what would happen if he had to run up the middle into a stacked D ten/fifteen times a game as is Roman's penchant for play calling?

But still, should we judge the guy before he's given a shot? He's done everything the niners have asked him to do and is a better straight ahead runner than I thought he would be.

Good post! Many many promising players who 'could have started' are out of football because of the inability to stay healthy for one reason or another.

I for one still believe that Hunter has a promising future with the Niners, and the front office would seem to agree...

Originally posted by dtg_9er:
Not going to judge him at this point as a number one...he hasn't been an NFL #1. I see him as a change of pace back who would be on the field most plays with a QB like P Manning, able to utilize his talents to good advantage. Is he a ground and pound, up the middle RB? No, I don't think he has shown that type of running ability. He is not a FB replacement type back that Gore can be. Gore is an ideal back for the niners due to his ability to run hard, be shifty and block like a demon.

My greatest concern about Hunter is that he has tended to be injured without being the featured back, what would happen if he had to run up the middle into a stacked D ten/fifteen times a game as is Roman's penchant for play calling?

But still, should we judge the guy before he's given a shot? He's done everything the niners have asked him to do and is a better straight ahead runner than I thought he would be.

Good post! Many many promising players who 'could have started' are out of football because of the inability to stay healthy for one reason or another.

I for one still believe that Hunter has a promising future with the Niners, and the front office would seem to agree...

I thought for sure LMJ wasn't even going to make the team, that he'd be cut/traded by the end of the preseason.

However, Lattimore seems to be progressing more slowly than expected, and now Hunter has suffered a torn ACL and is done for the season. Now our depth looks like this:
- 31-year-old Frank Gore
- Hyde
- LMJ
- Lattimore (a huge question mark)

Now it looks like James will make the team, and he's probably actually going to receive a few touches a game. Crazy how dramatically things can change in the span of a few weeks.

Originally posted by Oakland-Niner:
So is this dude associated with the team in any fashion any more? I know we cut him, but is he just a free agent now? Is he rehabbing with the Niners or totally on his own?

He cleared waivers and I believe we placed him on IR (?).

This. He is is on IR.

This isn't directed you Oak cause you're always on point, this is directed as general statement to this whole board....People on here went full retard with the use of the "Waived-Injured" tag this year. Almost 3 out 4 posters (what I say people post after each roster move) believe we cut Acker (some people thought he made the 53 though), Hunter, Jacobs, and Constanzo when we used that roster move on them. You would think people that have watched football for awhile would know the difference between simply being waived and the waived-injured designation.

We did ultimately release Costanzo from IR which may have been a move in the mold of releasing Ventrone and Osgood, in hopes of bringing him back when he is healthy. As we've already re-signed Osgood and the Harbaugh said they want to bring back Ventrone sometime soon.

But with all of the other players, yes they had to be waived-injured since it was prior to the cut-down days and they had to pass through the waiver-wire to remain a 9er but we never outright cut any of them.

.....

Now back to Hunter....he is a pending free agent so we could've simply released him but that is a super d**k move so you know our team wouldn't do that. Harbaugh and/or Baalke publicly stated the want Hunter to come back.

IMO Hunter should keep all the options open to him because a team or two may still come calling when FA opens up. But realistically the 9ers are his best option because the team and Hunter know what each other has. That being said I think he will watch what happens with Lattimore and Gore before making a commitment. If Gore retires or leaves then I see Hunter for sure coming back regardless of Lattimore's health. If Gore stays and Lattimore isn't beasting it up then perhaps he still opts to return and competes for time.

But I do think that a team with a sure need of a #2 may offer him a better opportunity and money even if they bluntly tell him they plan on drafting an RB after they sign him.

I hope to see Hunter back though because I'd love to see a more prolific/multi-runner ground game with Hyde, Miller, Millard, and a combination or one of Gore/Lattimore/Hunter.

Originally posted by Oakland-Niner:
So is this dude associated with the team in any fashion any more? I know we cut him, but is he just a free agent now? Is he rehabbing with the Niners or totally on his own?

He cleared waivers and I believe we placed him on IR (?).

This. He is is on IR.

This isn't directed you Oak cause you're always on point, this is directed as general statement to this whole board....People on here went full retard with the use of the "Waived-Injured" tag this year. Almost 3 out 4 posters (what I say people post after each roster move) believe we cut Acker (some people thought he made the 53 though), Hunter, Jacobs, and Constanzo when we used that roster move on them. You would think people that have watched football for awhile would know the difference between simply being waived and the waived-injured designation.

We did ultimately release Costanzo from IR which may have been a move in the mold of releasing Ventrone and Osgood, in hopes of bringing him back when he is healthy. As we've already re-signed Osgood and the Harbaugh said they want to bring back Ventrone sometime soon.

But with all of the other players, yes they had to be waived-injured since it was prior to the cut-down days and they had to pass through the waiver-wire to remain a 9er but we never outright cut any of them.

.....

Now back to Hunter....he is a pending free agent so we could've simply released him but that is a super d**k move so you know our team wouldn't do that. Harbaugh and/or Baalke publicly stated the want Hunter to come back.

IMO Hunter should keep all the options open to him because a team or two may still come calling when FA opens up. But realistically the 9ers are his best option because the team and Hunter know what each other has. That being said I think he will watch what happens with Lattimore and Gore before making a commitment. If Gore retires or leaves then I see Hunter for sure coming back regardless of Lattimore's health. If Gore stays and Lattimore isn't beasting it up then perhaps he still opts to return and competes for time.

But I do think that a team with a sure need of a #2 may offer him a better opportunity and money even if they bluntly tell him they plan on drafting an RB after they sign him.

I hope to see Hunter back though because I'd love to see a more prolific/multi-runner ground game with Hyde, Miller, Millard, and a combination or one of Gore/Lattimore/Hunter.

This seems so far away, but if/when this ever does come, it's going to be wonderful to have multiple backs on the roster that I believe are all capable of carrying the ball 20 times a game. Not necessarily for a full season, but if their number is called during a game, they could answer the challenge. I'm hoping for a best case scenario of us winning the Super Bowl and Frank Gore retiring on top. I love #21, but I would like to see other guys, namely Kendall Hunter, get more of an opportunity.

I thought for sure LMJ wasn't even going to make the team, that he'd be cut/traded by the end of the preseason.

However, Lattimore seems to be progressing more slowly than expected, and now Hunter has suffered a torn ACL and is done for the season. Now our depth looks like this:
- 31-year-old Frank Gore
- Hyde
- LMJ
- Lattimore (a huge question mark)

Now it looks like James will make the team, and he's probably actually going to receive a few touches a game. Crazy how dramatically things can change in the span of a few weeks.

But just two years ago we had Gore, Hunter, Dixon and Norris...progress!

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